Posted
by
samzenpuson Monday April 13, 2009 @02:29PM
from the fly-on-the-wall dept.

AndreV writes "A University of Waterloo in Ontario engineering research team has developed the world's first flying micro-robot capable of manipulating objects for micro-scale applications, which include micro-assembly of mechanical components, handling of biological samples and even microsurgery. It moves around and manipulates objects with micro-grippers, remotely controlled by a laser-focusing beam (heating the pincers with a laser opens them; when the laser is turned off, they cool and close). Its magnetic drive mechanism controls the field using continuous feedback from positioning sensors in order to position the 'bot. 'It can enter virtually any space and can be operated in a sealed enclosure by a person outside,' the project leaders says, 'which makes it useful for handling bio-hazardous materials or working in vacuum chambers and clean rooms.' The video of the contraption shows it floating in mid-air."

This thing doesn't really fly... It's a magnet that's levitating by using a complex, computer controlled magnetic field. I'm not sure how the robot can go into 'virtually any space' because you need to have a bunch of equipment to go along with it, and the equipment has to be nearby.

I guess University researchers can be as desperate for attention as anybody else can be. They're right on the bleeding edge of misrepresenting what this thing does. It's not really "flying", it's not really a "robot", either. I think this is more suitable for YouTube than Slashdot or any other (pseudo)news-source.

...in the very loosest sense of the word. I was kinda expecting something with wings or a propeller, its own power source and control systems, not magnetic levitating tweezers. Although kudos for it's diminutive size.

The fact that TFA misrepresents what's going on makes it prime fodder for/. Now we can all demonstrate how much smarter we are than everyone else by all separately posting about how the article sucks and how that's not really what they're doing.